Low-power TV station WWOO in Boston has filed for an experimental license with the FCC. It hopes to become the first 5G broadcaster in the country, according to TVNewsCheck.
WWOO owner Bill Christian is optimistic about the future of 5G, saying, “Recent developments in technology on both the transmit and receive sides, combined with an ever-increasing appetite for video and data on mobile devices make this the perfect time to build and test 5G broadcasting.”
“None of this would have been possible without the tireless efforts of ‘SuperFrank’ Copsidas, founder of Low Power TV Broadcasters Association (LPTVBA) and XGen Network,” Christian told TVNewsCheck.
XGen has spent months working with chip manufacturers, transmitter companies, software developers, mobile device makers and government authorities to put the pieces in place.
The LPTVBA and XGen Network have also been working with Qualcomm to create cell phones capable of receiving the broadcast band, and pushing to get that band put into the Worldwide 5G standard. That’s expected to be released shortly by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project, which unites seven telecommunications standard development organizations.
5G Broadcasting is a one-to-many model that can supply supplemental downloads directly to mobile devices, according to broadcasters. “Anybody who has been frustrated in a crowded football stadium trying to watch the game on a phone can understand the value of sending out in-demand streams and data via broadcast,” said Preston Padden, long-time industry executive and LPTVBA Chief Strategic Officer. “But the possibilities are so much more, from long-distance learning to high-definition encrypted video to first responders, to filling holes in areas unserved by the internet.”
Copsidas agrees, telling TVNewsCheck: “We have already set up testing with first responders and it appears that we can get better, faster information to them, not just in our test-market, but potentially nationwide. We have all of the pieces ready to test this, from content creation to transmission to receivers in every form including mobile phones and tablets, so that when the FCC approves this license we can be on the air in days.”
WWOO says: “Research is showing that the nation’s low-power TV stations are a great fit for 5G. With lower towers and lower power than their full-power brethren, interference is not an issue.” Low power stations represent 75 percent of all broadcasters in the U.S. and cover the nation coast-to-coast in both rural and urban areas, according to the LPTVBA.
By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief
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